Birth is a magical moment that you don’t really understand until you’ve gone through it yourself.…

Birth is a magical moment that you don’t really understand until you’ve gone through it yourself. It’s so remarkably life changing that most of your friends get tired of hearing about how extraordinary it was and how looking into your baby’s eyes for the first time was a moment of epiphany for you. For a slightly different perspective, we asked moms in the mom.life community if they had any more shocking childbirth and postpartum advice for new moms. Here are 24 real “surprises” they wanted to share.

1. All the different types of labor pain

Back labor!! 😭😭

Everyone knows that back labor is a thing, but NOBODY told me that hip labor is a thing!!

You may not always feel the pain on your back….you might feel it in your bum and it will feel like you have to take a 💩💩 and you’ll want to push but try not too until the doctors says too!! lol

2. Best way to push

What my sister in law told me is when I’m pushing DO NOT PUSH LIKE YOU HAVE TO POP push like you have to take a hard pee.

The determination to get that baby out is unequivocal.

3. C-section pain and recovery

No one told me anything about my c section or anything related to it. And no one told me about 6 weeks of bleeding and no sex. But also no one told me that I would recover so quickly and easily.

My c section. Puking and shaking uncontrollably during the whole surgery. Then not being able to anything on my own. It was worse than hell.

4. Tearing, episiotomy and stitches

Having stiches when they cut me hurt more than having a natural birth

Discharge 😑 no one told me about discharge!

5. Epidural pain

And not one told me how bad my back would hurt from the epidural afterwards, I could not stand straight my back hurt more than my vagina 😭

They don’t tell you about the massive migraine that lasts two weeks from the epidural!!

No one mentioned the shock that travels down your leg while getting an epidural 👀👀

6. Vagina pain

The stinging and burning while peeing for weeks after, how bad pp sex will hurt omg

How swollen you can get after delivery.

How bad it would hurt to go to the bathroom afterwards. And that your water would just keep leaking like you were peeing your pants for a long time after breaking.

The pitocin doesn’t stop after the baby you still will get it to help your cervix close and your bleeding to slow.

7. Teeth chattering and the shivers

I had the teeth chattering and shivers even without an epidural. that was one thing I wasn’t prepared for! and the feeling after the shoulders are out and the baby just slips right out the rest of the way lol is a really weird feeling!! It’s like having malaria only without the mosquito bite.

The teeth chattering and shivers from the epidural was very annoying. How weird it feels once the babies sholders are out and the rest just kinda falls. And everyone said that you basically give birth twice, once for baby and once for the placenta, well my doctor just kinda pushed on my tummy to get the placenta out. And how uncomfortable the stitches are in your kachina for weeks. But how it is all worth it for your child💙💚

8. Peeing on yourself

That you may pee yourself after birth for example when I was laughing and peed myself while in the hospital and peed myself without knowing I had to go so not know when you had the urge to pee.

9. Pooping during delivery

10. How your stomach will look terrible but just be patient for a few months. I wasn’t prepared for the mess my tummy was.

11. Everyone’s recovery time varies

The recovery, I couldn’t walk for almost 2 weeks I just cried. Being in serious pain & not being able to help yourself (walk, shower, go to the bathroom) it makes it very hard to take care of a newborn. I’m 4 weeks pp and just now starting to feel better- did I mention about how it feels to go to the bathroom or deal with a UTI and Uterus infection from delivery? All worth it though.

That recovery is faster and easier than people make it sound. yes, I was sore for a few days, but I’m 13 days pp now and I feel TOTALLY normal, it’s crazy to me.

I actually thought it was easier than what people described. Labor sucked, but my delivery was only 15 mins and I was up walking and showering just a couple hours after delivery.

How fast i recovered!!! All i heard was terrifying stories about the delivery n pain.. But it was AMAZING all NATURAL AND JUST went by fast n smooth 😊😊

12. Nursing contractions

Nursing contractions, holy cow I was not prepared and they get more painful with each baby.

The cramps you have after while breast feeding😭 I love my feeding times with my daughter but damn these hurt bad

13. First night home with a newborn

Mine was very easy. Only 4 hours and 15 minutes of pushing. But no one tells you how hard the first night with a new born is.

I actually thought it was easier than what people described. Labor sucked, but my delivery was only 15 mins and I was up walking and showering just a couple hours after delivery.

14. How bad your hormones are after birth

I had it really bad the first two weeks after birth. Felt like someone died and thought I was crazy for being sad and crying all the time. It Was horrible but dr assured me it was temporary and he was right. The shift in hormones is a bitch.

Definitely the baby blues.

The hormones that follow giving birth make pregnancy hormones seem like child’s play.

15. Hemorrhoids

I’ve got one word for this, hemorrhoids. Either way you deliver, you don’t get out of it lol.

16. The bleeding

Postpartum bleeding! The adult diapers and massive pads, the perineum cleaning bottle, the witch hazel and the numbing spray! Did I mention the massive pp bleeding?? I was NOT prepared and it took me 3 weeks of heavy bleeding to stop…just to start my first period a week later.

17. Stool softeners and pooping pain

The soreness afterwards for weeks sometimes. It’s a lot more painful that I was expecting with my first child. especially if you have to have stitches from an episiotomy! stool softeners are so important after giving birth too!!!

no one told me how much it would hurt to poop after !!!!💩💩💩😭😳😳😳😷

The first 💩 after delivery. Did I mention the pain?

18. Normal but weird newborn stuff

What I didn’t know was about newborns was the clogged tear duct and baby acne.

19. Contractions after birth

The contractions after birth. Not cool lol

And no one tells you that you still have contractions after you give birth during the healing process.

20. Leaky boobs

I needed diapers in my bra because these little breast pads wasn’t working LOL

21. Gallbladder problems

I’m really grumpy that I didn’t know it was really common to have gallbladder problems. all of my nurses were like “been having issues” me “no, never but I did just have a baby” them “oh hmm yup that’ll do it” what..what no one said anything to me to keep an eye out for it.

22. Baby sleep

Training your baby to go to sleep on a schedule. Otherwise, you’ll have a horrible life! Sleep defines motherhood. You will find that you will be prepared to mow down a row of perfectly nice people if it means you can lie on a bed for even two minutes! Sleep is gold dust, better than gold dust. It means you can…sleep! zzzzzzzzzzz

23. Hair loss

How much hair I would lose after 😮. but it grows back 😃

24. Not all babies cry when born

That not all babies cry after they have been born all three of my kids didn’t cry at all once they put them on my chest all three just stared at me until the nurse took them away and took blood from them then they cried.

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